STORM GATHERING

Southland Times, Issue 19101, 20 November 1923, Page 5

STORM GATHERING

UGLY EUROPEAN OUTLOOK STRAINED FRANCO.GERMAN SITUATION THE TENSION INCREASING (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

GERMANY’S DETERMINATION. WILL REJECT FRENCH DEMAND TROUBLE BREWING OVER EX-CROWN PRINCE. LONDON, November 19. (Received November 19, 11 p.m.) The Daily Chronicle's correspondent at Berlin says that Dr Stresemann on Sunday evening made an important speech to members of the People’s Party, in which he said France was threatening new sanctions on account of the return of the Crown Prince. “The German Government,” added the Chancellor, “will reject any demand for his extradition. The Cabinet has decided to expose the country to fresh brutalities rather than lay itself open to the reproach of compelling this German subject to remain in a foreign country away from his family.” THE EX-CROWN PRINCE. THE EX-KAISER NOT CONSULTED. LONDON, November 17. A message from Doorn records that the ex-Kaiser in a communique says the return of the Crown • Prince was prepared and carried out without his knowledge. He received a farewell letter from the Prince. He was entirely ignorant of the movement to restore the monarchy. Had he been consulted he would have objected to the departure of the ex-Crown Prince to Germany at present when the country was divided by internal disorders. BLACK CLOUDS GATHERING. WHEN WILL THE STORM BURST? LONDON, November 18. (Received November 19, 5.5 p.m.) The Berlin correspondent of the Daily Chronicle states that all women and girls, including typists and secretaries, who are members of the British Government staffs at the Embassy and at the Consulates, have, been advised to leave Germany and return to England. The reasons given are the dangerous possibilities of the political situation, shortage of food, high cost of living, which is likely to cause disorders, and difficulties arising out of the currency chaos. Further riots broke out in Berlin in many quarters, but it may be doubted whether they are due to want. Plunder lust is evidently increasing. A regular battle between Separatists and armed peasants took place near Neuwid yesterday. It was renewed thia morning and resulted in, twenty-four being killed, mostly Separatists, and over sixty injured. A company of occupation troops ultimately disarmed a thousand Separatists and pursued the anti-Separatists. It is believed the Stresemann Cabinet will be defeated when the Reichstag meets on Tuesday. I POINCARE DEFIANT. “JUSTICE WILL BE DONE BY THE DEAD.” (Sun Cables.) PARIS, November 18. M. Poincare, in laying the foundation stone of a war monument at Neuilly, said: “We do not despair of convincing the Allies that our method is the right one. We will continue in our peaceful way without uneasiness and without faltering, certain of being in the right. Germany for a long time has been disregarding the stipulations guaranteeing our security. She paralysed the action of the Allied Commission of Military Control, and has secretly tried to reconstruct armaments and reconstitute her military force which was prohibited by the Treaty. Simultaneously, she authorised the return of the heir to her Imperial Throne, who figures at the head of the list of war criminals. These are audacious acts in defiance of the Allies and are insolent violations of the Treaty. We are more than ever resolved not to evacuate the occupied territories before all the clauses of the Treaty of Versailles are completed and executed, and also not until we are solidly sectired against any new possibilities of aggression. The blood of our dead cries for justice and justice will be given them.” BRITAIN’S HUMILIATION. “AFRAID OF FRENCH AEROPLANES.” LONDON, November 19. Speaking at Northampton and referring to M. Poincare’s speech threatening to end the Entente, Mr Lloyd George said:—“M. Poincare gives the poor Entente baby a week-end bath of sulphuric acid just to keep it clean and bright. How can the poor brat get on? Britain under the present Government is negligible in the councils of Europe. British suggestions and pro-

posals have been rejected and nothing has happened. Mr Baldwin has called on M. Poincare and, M. Poincare having refused a conference, consulted the Belgian Government. Britain has not counted; Britain is not worth consulting. She sends messages across ‘if we suggest so and so.’ They say: ‘We are very sorry. It is either too late or too soon. We will talk to you later.’ The Britain that spent £10,000,000,090 and lost 900,000 lives, whose sacrifice and courage saved these countries from vassalage is of no account. It is humiliating and because they have made a mess of it they are trying to divert attention to something else. Americans, who have returned from the Continent, say the common explanation in Europe and America is that we are frightened of the French aeroplanes. They say that of this dauntless people, who have no fear of anything or anybody except the fear of God in their hearts.” THE REPARATIONS. MUSSOLINI SUGGESTS A SOLUTION. (Reuter’s Telegrams.) ROME, November 18. In the course of a speech Signor Mussolini outlined as an Italian solution of the reparations problem the following conditions: Firstly, reduction of the German debt, followed by a proportional reduction of the inter-Allied debts; secondly, a moratorium for Germany except as regards reparations in kind; thirdly, the assumption of pledges and guarantees; fourthly, evacuation of the Ruhr, once the last-named has been given; fifthly, no intervention in Germany’s internal affairs, but moral and material support for the Reich Government which re-establishes order and introduces financial reform; sixthly, no territorial changes to be considered. These proposals furnish a via media betwen opposing interests. BERLIN, November 18. Signor Mussolini’s speech has given satisfaction in Germany, but it is generally held that its fulfilment must remain completely ineffective so long as large German sources of production are withdrawn from the disposal of the German Government which is resolved to place the entire strength of German economic life as a productive pledge at the services of every solution of the reparations problem which guarantees Germany’s independence and future economic life. THE CURRENCY PROBLEM. RENTENMARKS IN DEMAND. BERLIN, November 19. Rentenmarks are being slowly issued to the public, but Jewish and other speculators are buying them at a premium. Retailers refuse to sell even half a pound of butter for paper marks, saying that the wholesalers will not accept them. Other shops are offering up to twenty-five per cent, rebate for rentenmarks. MINING IN THE RUHR. ANOTHER SENSATIONAL INCIDENT. FRENCH IRON RULE. LONDON, November 19. (Received November 19, 10.30 p.m ) The Morning Post’s correspondent at Paris says that the move of Herr Stinnes and his fellow magnates in ordering the closing of certain of their concerns at the end of the month to force the French authorities to permit them to extend the working day to ten hours, received a prompt reply from General Degoutte, who issued a decree forbidding wholesale dismissals under penalty of five years’ imprisonment. This applies to all undertakings in the Ruhr employing more than 500 workers. Herr Stinnes’s threat meant that nearly 1,000,000 would be thrown out of work. The French claim that Herr Stinnes’s collieries are showing a profit of over 100 per cent., out of which the industrial magnates can well afford to pay forty per cent, for reparations. UGLY INCIDENT. FURTHER TROUBLE BREWING. (Reuter’s Telegrams.) BERLIN, November 19. General Nollet has gone to Paris, probably to inform the French Government of an incident likely to have serious consequences. At Leipzig, two Franco-Belgian officers, who are members of the Dresden section of the Inter-Allied Military Mission of Control, were dragged out of their beds at four o’clock in the morning and detained in the guardroom five hours. It is alleged they were shamefully molested and insulted before being released, under orders from Dresden. The officers were previously held up by the Reichswehr while motoring from Dresden to Leipzig and detained for several hours eventually being released on instructions from a superior officer.